Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 1088

As the call connected, a bright smile spread across Gia's face. "Healy, where are you?" she asked lightly.

Over the faint hum of a car engine in the background, Healy replied, "Gia, I have to make an emergency trip to Winrich. I won't be home for dinner, don't wait up."

Gia's smile froze, as if someone had hit pause, before it slowly began to shatter.

"...Okay." Her voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper, as if she were afraid of breaking something.

"Yeah, get some rest."

Healy hung up immediately, brisk and efficient, leaving her no room to ask any questions.

Even after the screen went black, Gia stood there frozen, holding the phone to her ear, her knuckles turning white.

The dining room lights were just as warm, and the table was perfectly set.

But the fragile layer of anticipation had been ripped right out from under her, leaving her feeling completely hollow.

Mrs. Naylor asked, "What did he say?"

Gia lowered her eyes, her tone flat. "He went to Winrich. He said he won't be back for dinner."

Unaware of her devastation, Mrs. Naylor nodded understandingly. "Well, he did rush back from out of town specifically for Winrich. It makes sense he'd go straight there. Let's go ahead and eat."

"You go ahead. I'm not hungry." Leaving those words behind, Gia retreated to her room.

So Healy had rushed back specifically for Noreen.

Closing the bedroom door behind her, she leaned heavily against it, engulfed by an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

She had always admired Healy, so when the marriage alliance was proposed, she had secretly been overjoyed.

But her brother Jason had told her that Healy initially opposed the arrangement.

It was only after they crossed paths at a banquet that the alliance was finalized.

Once it became official, Healy treated her incredibly well.

He was a gentle, chivalrous man who always treated her with respect.

There were so many moments when Gia felt lucky—lucky that she wasn't just a casualty of a corporate merger, but one of the rare few who had actually married for love.

A piercing ring echoed in her ears as her entire world spun out of control.

So that was it.

She remembered all those moments that had once tasted like honey.

Whenever they stood side by side admiring the skyline, he would stare intensely at her profile.

Whenever she read a book under the lamplight, he would gently stroke her cheek and whisper, "Your profile is so beautiful."

She had foolishly believed he was complimenting her, that it was a declaration of deep, genuine love.

Now that the disguise had been brutally ripped away, she finally understood.

He was never looking at her.

He was looking right through her, gazing at someone else.

Someone he kept buried deep in his heart.